March, 1873.] 229 



Panorpidce {Scorpion-flies, &c.). — Common amongst terbage, and 

 easily captured on tlie wing, or swept up witli the net. The males of 

 Panorpa have the peculiar forcipate dilated terminal segment from 

 which their vulgar name is derived. In setting, some of these males 

 should have the three terminal segments forcibly extended until dry, 

 as otherwise they are curved over the back, and not so easy to 

 examine, — an important point, taken into consideration with the fact 

 that the specific characters mostly lie in these segments. They are 

 highly predacious, feeding upon other insects, and can inflict a 

 momentarily painful wound in the fingers by means of their mandi- 

 bulate rostrum. Bittacus (not represented in Britain) is extremely 

 like a TipuJa, only with four wings instead of two, and this disguise 

 probably has a purpose, for, in the case of a recently discovered 

 apterous sjjecies, it was found that semi-apterous TipiiUdce existed in 

 the same locality ; they may thus be likened to wolves in sheeps' 

 clothing. The legs are of extraordinary length, and, in setting, 

 must be arranged one by one with pins, otherwise they become en- 

 tangled and easily break. Boreus is a genus of small and virtually 

 apterous insects, found only in winter amongst moss, &c., and even 

 sometimes on the surface of the snow. They mostly fall in the way 

 of the Coleopterist when hunting for moss-frequenting beetles, and 

 are no doubt often cast aside as Acari, or similar 'rubbish.' Though I 

 cannot explain by what means they jump, it is nevertheless certain that 

 they possess some amount of saltatory powers. The specific characters 

 exist chiefly in the ventral segments of the males, a sufiicient reason 

 why they should not be ' carded ; ' simple pinning is sufiicient, or, if 

 time is no object, the legs may be neatly spread out vdth small pins. 



The PctnorpiclcB are aberrant PJanipennia, and by some are thought 

 to form a passage to the next division. 



Trichoptera (" Caddis-flies'"). 

 In no group of insects have I acquired so much practical know- 

 ledge of the habits and private lives, as in the Trichoptera. Although 

 my attention has been gradually directed to the order Neuroptera as 

 a whole, yet the Caddis-flies were my earliest favourites, and still 

 constitute my pet division of the order. The days and hours spent 

 in the pursuit of our native species have been — I can safely say — the 

 happiest moments of my life, and I still look back with unalloyed 

 gratification to the year 1859, when, as an enthusiastic pupil of Dr. 

 Hagen, I commenced to collect and study them. Would that I had 

 more companions in the field ! 



